Ghosts
by Astellya
Summary: Kate and Ari visit Ziva in her dreams. Kate/Ari hinted at.
1. Chapter 1

**Ghosts**

**A/N: **This came to me while thinking about Ari today… I have no idea where this is going, but enjoy.

**Summary: **Kate and Ari visit Ziva in a dream.

Ziva was home after another day at work. It was a tiring day. Their crime scene had been in the middle of a vicious hill that she was almost certain could be called a mountain. She spent the whole day going up and down, taking statements and bagging evidence. Not to mention that it was one of the hottest days of the year. She didn't mind the heat, but the humidity killed her.

So she allowed herself the luxury of a bath to relax her muscles and wash the sweat—hers and, unfortunately, Tony's (he sat right next to her in the van, getting his sweat on her since his jacket was off and his sleeves rolled up)—off of her body. She twirled her hair efficiently, clipping it up and out of the water with a large hair clip. She would wash it in the morning, but for now she just wanted the bath.

She placed a toe in her bath, cringing at the hot water. She gently lowered herself in, feeling her muscles relax every inch she sunk in. She picked up the book that lay next to the tub and flipped it open. An hour later, she was sound asleep, head resting on the side of the tub, arm holding the book hanging out the side.

_Ziva was sitting in a wooded area, much like the ones she had seen as a child. She could smell the sweet scent of flowers and she smiled. It was spring and the forest was beautiful. "Ziva!" a voice called. Her heart thudded in her chest. She knew that voice. Her hand instantly went to her gun and she flinched when there was no gun. She reached next to her boot and found no knife hidden there. So she stood straight, ready to fight. _

"_Ziva," the voice called again, this time behind her. She spun around, jumping into attack position. And then she saw them. Nonhostile people. "Hello." _

"_Ari!" she cried, all former malice forgotten. She flung herself into his arms and he spun her around once, burying his face in her hair just like he always did. _

"_I've missed you," Ari confessed, appearing young and healthy. "I have someone I want you to meet. Ziva, this is Caitlyn Todd." He gestured to the dark-haired woman next to him. The woman smiled and waved._

"_Ari has told me so much about you, Ziva." _

"_I'm sorry for taking your place," Ziva apologized. _

"_Rule number six," Kate said with a smirk._

"_Never apologize," they said together. _

"_From what I've heard, you've been taking care of the team," Kate continued. "I just hope you don't let Tony push you around too much." Ziva smiled. _

"_My little sister doesn't let anyone push her around," Ari said proudly. _

"_Except for you, Ari," Ziva corrected. Her expression clouded over as she remembered reality. "I am sorry for killing you," she said, hanging her head in shame. _

"_No need. I was out of control. Our father was going to have me killed no matter what. I'm just sorry that you had to kill me." He pulled her close to him, letting her cry into his shoulder. _

"_I miss you," she whispered. _

"_I miss you as well. But, do not dwell on things you cannot change. It will drive you crazy." She nodded. "Now, you need to wake up. Goodbye, Ziva." _

"_We'll visit again," Kate promised. _

_Ari pulled away from Ziva and offered his hand to Kate. She took it and they smiled at one another. "Goodbye, little one. I love you. Stay safe." _

"_I love you too, Ari." _

"_Bye, Ziva," Kate called, smiling broadly. _

"_Goodbye, Kate. Ari." _

_With that, the pair walked off, hand in hand, walking through the forest. Ziva watched them leave until she could no longer see the retreating figures of her brother and the woman he loved. _

Ziva awoke with a start, slipping into the bathtub a little more. She shivered at the now-cold water and got out quickly. After pulling on her pajamas and crawling into bed, she swore she could feel a kiss being pressed to her forehead and the gentle scent of a forest in spring. She missed her brother, but his ghostly presence made her smile.

**A/N: **Yeah, I know it was short. But, I think any longer would be overkill. And Ziva probably doesn't believe in ghosts, but when you're really tired, lots of weird things happen. I'm thinking about writing more with different characters… Like, they visit Tony or Gibbs. Tell me what you think.


	2. Gibbs

**Ghosts**

**A/N: **So far I've only gotten a single review, but I have bursts of inspiration… So here's Gibbs's chapter.

Chapter 2

Gibbs came home in the dark. He was planning on working on the toys he was making for his goddaughter's birthday. He walked down the stairs to his basement, flicking on the light switch. He poured a bit of bourbon into his mug, taking a drink as he stared at his work so far.

He had already made a wooden pony that Gibbs had to admit that he was proud of. It was about three feet tall and he had covered it in a short, soft fur. The pony had a saddle he crafted out of dark wood that she would be able to use until well into her teenage years. The mane of the white horse was pale blonde and he knew that Amira would adore it. He looked at the half-made toy next to it. It was going to be a treasure chest. So far it was the bottom half and the top sat next to it, still to be attached. He was going to put a simple lock inside so that Amira could hide her secrets inside.

Gibbs got to work on the treasure chest, turning it into something from a fairy tale. He was going to call Franks when he was finished to ask if she would rather a pirate chest or princess chest. Gibbs worked well into the night, growing drowsier and drowsier as he worked. Eventually exhaustion took over and he considered sleep. He stretched out on the floor next to the toys and closed his eyes.

_Gibbs was in the bullpen of NCIS. It was completely devoid of life. He heard laughter that sounded so familiar that he tensed despite his cool exterior. He opened his drawer, reaching for his gun. The drawer contained all of his paper work but no gun. "Gibbs," a woman's voice called sweetly. _

_Gibbs looked up, his heart pounding. Kate sat in Ziva's—no, Kate's—desk. She held his gun in her hand, dismantling it quickly. "Kate," he said, his voice pained. "I'm so, so sorry…" _

"_Don't worry about it, Gibbs. It's not your fault." _

"_Technically it's mine," the voice that had laughed said. _

_Gibbs turned and lunged, attacking Ari. He missed when Ari vanished, reappearing next to Kate. "Kate, look out!" Gibbs cried. _

"_Don't worry, Gibbs. He's not going to hurt me," she assured him. Ari gently placed his hand on Kate's shoulder. "It's why I came to talk to you. What happened to me isn't your fault. And Ari isn't a bad guy." _

"_Of course he is. He's just like his father," Gibbs spat. _

"_He's nothing like Eli David," Kate said softly. "He's more like Ziva than you'd think. He made a lot of mistakes in his lifetime, but now we're happy, Gibbs."_

_He frowned, unable to understand. "How can you stand next to him?" _

"_It's alright, Gibbs. I understand that you know me only as a killer," Ari said calmly. He looked… different than Gibbs remembered. Ari had a shine in his eyes that Gibbs had never seen before. _

"_I came to say goodbye. And move on, Gibbs. You've been holding onto my death for a long time. You'll be fine. And you've been fine without me." _

"_Kate… It's never been the same without you." _

"_Change is good, Gibbs. Ziva is good for the team."_

"_I miss you, Katie," he said, using his affectionate nickname for her. _

_She teared up and crossed the bullpen. She hugged him gently, completely out of character for her. He stroked her hair gently and she remained in his arms for a few long moments. She pulled away and offered him a watery smile. "You're fine, Gibbs. And, next time you think of me, don't think about how much you regret my death. Think of all the times you taught me your rules and the times I picked on Tony and the times I teased McGee. Think of happy things, not tragic ones." _

_He returned her smile softly. "I'll try, Kate," he promised. _

"_Good. Now, we have to be going. Keep DiNozzo in line."_

"_And look after Ziva," Ari added. _

_Kate took Gibbs's hand for a moment before releasing it and walking away. Ari wrapped his arm around her shoulders and they walked away. They stepped onto the elevator and Kate sent him one last wave before the doors closed._

Gibbs woke up and a feeling of peace washed over him. Seeing and speaking to Kate had helped him. He knew it was just a dream and that Kate was dead, but his unconscious told him exactly what he knew Kate would tell him. He stood and smiled before moving upstairs to go back to sleep.

**A/N: **Well, there's chapter two… if there are any characters you'd like to request, feel free. Next up is Tony.


End file.
